41114 Assistant Welder training and certification concerns

The training for Assistant Welders and the associated
certification is a concern for one reporter. The reporter is aware
that currently Assistant Welders, unlike fully qualified Welders,
do not undergo recertification every two years as their
competencies do not expire. The concern is that the staff that
become Assistant Welders following an intensive three week course,
do not undergo any further training to become Welders, even though
they undertake work that involves using plant and dangerous gases.
They are able to do this, according to the reporter, because the
competencies they are given when they become Assistant Welders do
not have an expiry date and it is therefore perceived by staff to
be valid for ninety nine years. The reporter does not feel that
this is acceptable.

Handbook NR/L2/TRK/0032 states that Welders should attend
training every two years to be re-certificated. The rules also
state that if Welders do not partake in welding activities for more
than three months, that they should not be able to retain their
welding competencies.

The reporter believes that Welding Assistants are an exception
to this rule, which is seen to be unsafe as they could be injured
when handling the dangerous gases if they do not have the training
required to do this.
Could Network Rail please:

Carry out a check to ensure that all Assistant Welders have
received the required training and have the correct competencies to
be able to handle plant and dangerous gases?

Explain why the Assistant Welders do not have to undergo
recertification training every two years?

Explain why the competencies held by Assistant Welders do not
have an expiry date on them?

Response from Network Rail

Network Rail would like to thank the reporter for bringing their
concerns to our attention.

Carry out a check to make sure that all Assistant Welders
have received the required training and have the correct
competencies to be able to handle plant and dangerous
gases?

The Assistant Welder training course covers the items of
portable plant relevant to the duties of an Assistant Welder. These
are: welding tents, grinders, weld trimmers, disc cutters, Geismar
light weight stressing equipment, generators, and needle guns. All
Assistant Welders therefore have been trained on the items of
portable plant they require to undertake their role. Once released,
NR/L2/CTM/222 will specify that the Assistant Welder is
required to take an oxy-fuel gas safety paper every two years in
addition to the two-yearly powered plant recertification.

Explain why the Assistant Welders do not have to undergo
recertification training every two years?

It is a requirement for any individuals undertaking the duties
of an Assistant Welder to hold a valid Sentinel card showing the
Assistant Welder competence. In order to be awarded the Sentinel
Assistant Welder competence, an individual must have attended the
Assistant Welder training course. We can therefore be assured that
all Assistant Welders have attended the required training. However
it is worth noting that Assistant Welders only actually assist in
the activity, having no direct responsibility for the process and
only working under the direct supervision of the Welder. Therefore
the Welder supervising the activity is responsible for making sure
it is done safely and effectively and as such will hold a
recertifiable competence to demonstrate the ability to do this.

Explain why the competencies held by assistant welders do
not have an expiry date on them?

Before 9 August 2010, the portable plant competences were not
awarded to individuals upon successful completion of the Assistant
Welder training course. As of 9 August 2010 and in line with the
development of a Competence Standard for Welding (ref number
NR/L2/CTM/222) due for publication in December 2010, these
portable plant competences have now been linked to the Assistant
Welder training course and are being awarded to all individuals who
successfully complete this course. These portable plant competences
all have expiry dates associated to them, which require individuals
to attend recertification training on a periodic basis in order to
maintain competence. This provides ongoing assurance that Assistant
Welders remain competent in the items of portable plant required
for them to undertake their duties. All individuals who attended
the Assistant Welder training course before 9 August 2010 shall
have their competence records backdated to include the portable
plant competences which are still valid. Any Assistant Welders who
attended training too long ago (i.e. longer than the
recertification frequency of the portable plant competences) shall
be required to attend retraining to gain the portable plant
competences they require.